Sacrifice

When you go on a mission, you sacrifice a lot.  You leave a comfortable home, and probably lots of clothes and gadgets.  You also leave behind loved ones.  It can be very hard to leave all that behind, but usually it will all be there when you get back.

Sister Joseph also made lots of sacrifices, but not like you and I have/will.  (She is on the far right in the blue top and black skirt.)  She left a very humble home and just came back to it.  That's her home in the background.  It's made of cinder block and is about 14' by 20'.  There are 5-7 people living in it at any given time.  I noticed the shower is outside in a small enclosure.  For Sister Joseph, it was a great sacrifice for her family to let her go.  The unemployment rate is very high in St Lucia, and even if they are employed, it is not enough to support a family.  The mother (on the left) cleans rooms in a small hotel.  She has to walk a couple of miles each way to her job.  When Sister  Joseph left, there was a loss of income from her job, plus her family supported her as much as they could.  They have no computers and no internet so she rarely got emails or letters from her family. 

Is that too much to ask of a person?  To leave your family when they are in such need of your help?  I think if you asked this family, they would say NO!  It brought blessings beyond measure!  The Mom is so proud of her daughter and the missionary learned so many skills that will bless her family FOREVER!

Sometimes what seems like a sacrifice, is really no sacrifice at all.

We love YOU!

Let the lower lights be burning!

The last few mornings as I have woken up, I have had this song running through my mind.  It's not a familiar hymn so I had to do some searching to find it.  I really like the message of it.  Let me tell you the background of it.

Many years ago a ship was trying to make it in to a harbor in the dark.  There was a light house with it's beacon shining, but there were no "lower lights". The captain asked: “Where are the lower lights?” “Gone out, sir,” replied the pilot.  “Can you make the harbor, then?” asked the captain, to which the pilot answered: “We must, sir, or perish.”  (read the story here:  http://www.plymouthbrethren.org/article/10378)

Well, they didn't make it!  The ship wrecked and many died.  When a man heard about this, he wrote the song that is on page 335 of the hymn book.  As you read it, think of the light house as being Christ and we, his helpers, are the lower lights:

Brightly beams our Father’s mercy
From His lighthouse evermore,
But to us He gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.

Chorus:

Let the lower lights be burning!
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.

I have been thinking about this a lot.  Christ always has his light shining for us and wants us to come to him.  Sometimes there are rocky harbours that we must pass through.  It helps to have "lights" closer to the shore to lead us along.  We are those lights.  We can help those around us to see our light and lead them along the way.  We may rescue!  We may save!

We took this picture today as we left church in Vieux Fort, St Lucia.  That is a light house, high on the hill.  We hope you will always try to head straight for the light house and let the lower lights lead you along.

We love YOU!!!

Coconuts rolling on the Caribbean Sea

Here's a little song you can sign for FHE. I hope you get to see coconuts rolling in the sea someday!

I looked out the window and what did I see,

Coconuts rolling on the Caribbean Sea.

The waves have brought me such a nice surprise,

Coconuts rolling right before my eyes.

I can take an armful and make a treat,

Of coconut pie that will taste so sweet.

It wasn't really so, but it seemed to me,

Coconuts rolling on the Caribbean Sea.